With disco balls and strings of lights, the Unified Champions club with the help of AVID students transformed the New Lecture Hall to host the UC prom on Friday, Apr. 26. The prom was for special needs students who couldn’t attend the traditional McNeil prom.
Founders of the club said they hosted the prom because a lot of special needs students never get the chance to go to prom. Prom is a part of the high school experience, and UC leaders want to ensure that every student has all of the opportunities of high school.
For the prom, special needs students put on the best outfits and danced the day away after eating pizza and treats provided by the McNeil PTSA. UC club leaders said the students loved the prom and the disco theme.
“I was blown away with how the students decorated the new lecture hall,” PTSA President Jeanne Acton-Shanks said. “When I walked into the room, it truly looked like a high school prom.”
“The special needs students looked so beautiful and handsome — all dressed up,” Acton-Shanks said. “They were all so excited and couldn’t wait to hit the dance floor. I am so proud of the students who designed this prom and put in all of the effort to pull it off. The PTSA was thrilled to play a small part. This is the type of activity that can truly unite the school — and allow everyone to feel like they are a real part of McNeil HS.”
Victoria Madero-Castaneda, a UC club leader, said she was glad that so many students helped set up the prom and decorate.
“The prom took a long time to set up but it was worth seeing the kids so happy,” Madero-Castaneda said.
It took the club two hours to transform the lecture hall. They hung lights, put up disco balls, decorated the tables and chairs. Volunteer students also helped the special needs students with their makeup and helped them get dressed in their fancy dresses and suits. The AVID students also make flowers for the students.
“Being able to do something like this is rare,” Madero-Castaneda said. “It’s rare to have a community like this and people caring about others and making a difference. Making a difference for these kids and giving them opportunities like this, changes their lives.”
Most of the special needs students have classes in the J-wing. They often don’t leave that area and miss out on opportunities that other students have.
Unified Champions hopes to continue to host events for special needs students so that they have more opportunities to make connections with other students.
“Every person deserves opportunities and deserves respect,” one UC club leader said. “These kids don’t always get the respect they deserve; so please if you see a special needs kid go up and talk to them. It will make their day.”
Unified Champions wanted to thank all of the students who took the time to set up and host the prom. The prom was a special day for so many students.
